Kou-Kun and Sei-Chan
by y-ye
Summary: [FIXED] Akashi and Furihata were friends as children who lived next to each other. Why? Akashi's mother preferred to be immersed in the city, and Furihata's family lived in the next house. When Akashi's mother weakened, they moved out and separated the boys. Years went by, and both of them forgot most everything about the other except that they had been "Kou-kun & Sei-chan"
1. Mother's Intuition

This whole problem started when he got home the morning after Seirin won the Winter Cup. He'd asked his mother if they had any pictures of his childhood friend, Sei-something-or-other. With her crooked smile, she guided him over to the tiny cherrywood cabinet in their livingroom. Opening the doors, she knelt at eye level with the bottom row. Furihata followed her down.

"Well, they're not pictures of just Sei-chan. We never could get you two apart long enough by the time I thought to take pictures... Ah." Slender fingers tapped the plastic cover of an album. "This one is filled with the pictures. Got bright raspberry hair from Mrs. Akashi," she paid no mind when Furihata's breath caught, "and Sei-chan was just so stubborn looking like with those red eyes. I wonder if that child ever decided on a gender."

"Decided?"

"Sei-chan is intersex, though I'm not surprised you don't remember. Pretty big word for a four year old to know! Not that you cared what Sei-chan turned out to be, as long as you two could get married." Chuckling quietly she looked at Furihata while removing the album. "It's nice to see you don't seem to mind now either. We raised you well."

"M-mom!" Furihata flushed, refusing to meet her eyes. How was he supposed to reconcile the powerful emperor he'd faced with someone like Sei-chan whom he'd played with as a child? The only memory he really had of Sei-chan was a warm hand in his, the chill of rainfall, and red hair peeking out of a raincoat. That was what trust felt like. Akashi... Akashi was anything but. Akashi was the chilled metal of a crown, the dry heat of a summer night, and his hands felt cold.

"But yes, Mr. Akashi secretly hoped Sei-chan would be his heir, and he thought that meant a boy. Mrs. Akashi just wanted Sei-chan happy." Eyes darkening briefly, she sighed through her nose before handing over the album. "I'm a little scared her passing may have affected Sei-chan's choice. Did you think you saw them somewhere?"

"Ah... Yes, at my last match..."

"Oh! In the crowds? I mean, with hair like that, it's possible you caught a glimpse." It was true- Akashi's hair was vivid, but so were the rest of the Generation of Miracles. Not that his mom knew that. "So? Did you talk?"

"Not really. Sei-chan was our opponent."

"Oh my! How exciting that must have been. Did you two exchange phone numbers?"

"Mom,what part of we didn't talk did you forget? Geez."

"Well you better figure out a way to get it, young man! It sounds just like out of a romance, childhood friends reunited after promising to marry each other as kids... How romantic!"

"Mom! Akashi's the heir of some millionaire CEO, there won't be time for reconnecting with the poor boy next door. Calm down, I just... I wanted to know how it used to be."

"Oh, Kouki... Sei-chan got hot, huh?"

"No! Yes! I mean, uh, I suppose, but that doesn't mean anything. ThankyouforthealbumI'mgoingtomyroomnow,bye!" With her muffled laughter following him out, he raced upstairs to his room. Sinking to the floor, he stared at the album still in his arms. Fingers trembling ever so slightly, he opened the cover, finger hovering over the first picture.

The shot was just slightly blurred. Sei-Chan was leading him somewhere to the left, bright curiosity shining in deep red eyes as they stared back at Kou-kun. Plain as case be, grass stains on his shorts, and looking within utter adoration into Sei-chan's eyes, Kou-kun. They looked like they belonged together. There was a small note at the bottom that said "Red String of Fate, Day One" with no explanation.

The album was shut before Furihata even registered it. Blindly reaching for his bookbag, his entire body trembled. He needed to look at the rest of it, he knew, but... later. Maybe during a break in the library. Just, not now.

It never occurred to him that Kuroko was also a fan of the library, and would be able to tell that it was Akashi in all those photos. Of course not. He would never let Kuroko ask him instead of the other way around, because that would be so much more trouble than was necessary. Also, rather manipulative and cowardly. So he totally wasn't doing it because of that.


	2. Sharing is Caring

After a day of side eyeing his own bookbag and muttering to himself about how different Sei-chan was from Akashi, Furihata was finally going to school. The photo album weighed down his bookbag comfortably, but it made Furihata anxiously clutch it to his chest whenever something got too close. For instance, when Sousuke messed up his hair (as he did every morning), Furihata nearly jumped out of his seat to run out the door with it pulled tight to his chest, strap dangling dangerously low. Sousuke huffed at him, attempting to steal his plate of eggs while Furihata sunk back down into his seat.

"What happened to you?" Pouting when Furihata still managed to defend him eggs while fidgeting. "You said you didn't have practice this morning, there's no reason for you to be so jumpy. Unless..." A sharp smirk edged onto Sousuke's face. "Oh mom~ What did Kouki do this time~?" Furihata sat bolt upright, wide eyed at his brother.

"Stop bothering your brother, Sousuke!" His dad snapped from the coffee maker, glaring at it in hopes it would make caffeine faster.

"I wasn't asking you, dad!"

"Eat your own eggs, you brat." Mom whacked Sousuke's head with her spatula before sliding his own plate in front of him. "Kouki's done nothing wrong, just met Sei-chan at that basketball game he played."

"Sei-chan? Do you mean that Sei-chan?"

"Mmh. Sort of hard to mistake, considering the hair color on that child."

"Oh? Well, how did that go, Kouki? Or should I call you Kou-kun? Did Sei-chan dismiss you?"

"We didn't even talk, Sousuke." At his inquiring look Furihata added, "Akashi was on the opposing team."

"Really? I thought the last team you faced was Rakuzan... Wait a second. That's Sei-chan?!" Furihata nodded while Sousuke nearly choked on his eggs.

"What do you mean 'That's Sei-chan'?" It seems dad had finally decided to join in.

"Akashi was the captain of the Generation of Miracles. He was the greatest player they had! His father is a CEO! Didn't you say you tripped in front of him?!"

"Sousuke! Sei-chan might not want to be called he!" His mom scolded while Sousuke looked unperturbed.

"I mean, it's what all the magazines call Akashi, and it's the boy's league." Furihata looked down. Was Akashi a boy now? Somehow he doubted it was true, but whatever. Akashi had changed over the long years since they'd been friends. Only one way to know, and Furihata was in no position to ask anymore. Nor did he have the courage to even if there was a chance...

"That doesn't mean shit about who Sei-chan is, seeing as there's no intersex league. Now hurry up Kouki, you're gonna be late! Leave your bike, the snow is too deep."

"Hah! Suck it!"

"That reminds me Sousuke," Mom said in a falsely saccharine voice that made both brothers tense up, "When are you going to move out? I mean, a proper salary man should be..."

Her voice became indistinct even as Sousuke's groaning lingered, and Furihata scrambled out the door, accepting his scarlet scarf from his father at the last minute. The wind ran like chilled fingers through his hair, and he let out a content sigh that swirled out white. Sometimes his family was just... A little too loud. The refreshing background noise of the soft wind was enough for him, with the crunch of snow.

Sometimes he could have sworn he heard a chiming voice telling him to keep up, thanking him for carrying everything, thanking him for... No one needed to know that days like this felt incomplete without those half remembered words. It was fine. The Sei-chan he remembered didn't exist anymore. That was fine.

He still had the pictures. That made everything okay...


	3. Chapter 3

After a day of side eyeing his own bookbag and muttering to himself about how different Sei-chan was from Akashi, Furihata was finally going to school. The photo album weighed down his bookbag comfortably, but it made Furihata anxiously clutch it to his chest whenever something got too close. For instance, when Sousuke messed up his hair (as he did every morning), Furihata nearly jumped out of his seat to run out the door with it pulled tight to his chest, strap dangling dangerously low. Sousuke huffed at him, attempting to steal his plate of eggs while Furihata sunk back down into his seat.

"What happened to you?" Pouting when Furihata still managed to defend him eggs while fidgeting. "You said you didn't have practice this morning, there's no reason for you to be so jumpy. Unless..." A sharp smirk edged onto Sousuke's face. "Oh mom~ What did Kouki do this time~?" Furihata sat bolt upright, wide eyed at his brother.

"Stop bothering your brother, Sousuke!" His dad snapped from the coffee maker, glaring at it in hopes it would make caffeine faster.

"I wasn't asking you, dad!"

"Eat your own eggs, you brat." Mom whacked Sousuke's head with her spatula before sliding his own plate in front of him. "Kouki's done nothing wrong, just met Sei-chan at that basketball game he played."

"Sei-chan? Do you mean that Sei-chan?"

"Mmh. Sort of hard to mistake, considering the hair color on that child."

"Oh? Well, how did that go, Kouki? Or should I call you Kou-kun? Did Sei-chan dismiss you?"

"We didn't even talk, Sousuke." At his inquiring look Furihata added, "Akashi was on the opposing team."

"Really? I thought the last team you faced was Rakuzan... Wait a second. That's Sei-chan?!" Furihata nodded while Sousuke nearly choked on his eggs.

"What do you mean 'That's Sei-chan'?" It seems dad had finally decided to join in.

"Akashi was the captain of the Generation of Miracles. He was the greatest player they had! His father is a CEO! Didn't you say you tripped in front of him?!"

"Sousuke! Sei-chan might not want to be called he!" His mom scolded while Sousuke looked unperturbed.

"I mean, it's what all the magazines call Akashi, and it's the boy's league." Furihata looked down. Was Akashi a boy now? Somehow he doubted it was true, but whatever. Akashi had changed over the long years since they'd been friends. Only one way to know, and Furihata was in no position to ask anymore. Nor did he have the courage to even if there was a chance...

"That doesn't mean shit about who Sei-chan is, seeing as there's no intersex league. Now hurry up Kouki, you're gonna be late! Leave your bike, the snow is too deep."

"Hah! Suck it!"

"That reminds me Sousuke," Mom said in a falsely saccharine voice that made both brothers tense up, "When are you going to move out? I mean, a proper salary man should be..."

Her voice became indistinct even as Sousuke's groaning lingered, and Furihata scrambled out the door, accepting his scarlet scarf from his father at the last minute. The wind ran like chilled fingers through his hair, and he let out a content sigh that swirled out white. Sometimes his family was just... A little too loud. The refreshing background noise of the soft wind was enough for him, with the crunch of snow.

Sometimes he could have sworn he heard a chiming voice telling him to keep up, thanking him for carrying everything, thanking him for... No one needed to know that days like this felt incomplete without those half remembered words. It was fine. The Sei-chan he remembered didn't exist anymore. That was fine.

He still had the pictures. That made everything okay...


End file.
